Fate, Karma and Choices
by Beautiful Allusion
Summary: 3rd in series, after Running Through Rainstorms and Forever My Angel. Angela and Jasper have to face up to forever, with humanity hanging in the balance will they choose each other or will they let fate decide? AngelaxJasper otherwise canon. Re-write.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** This is the third story in my Angela and Jasper saga. First is Running through Rainstorms then Forever My Angel, but this can be read as a stand-alone piece. This is just a prologue to set the story and tie in the others, so please don't judge solely on this. Because of writer's block this story is on-going, read and review if you get the chance! Thanks so much for all the people that have been with me on this so far, everyone who has read and reviewed and followed through my own saga. Much love to you all xx

**Prologue**

Angela squeezed her eyes tighter together as she woke up. Even with eyes closed she could still tell it was daylight out, and the various noises coming from around the house made it impossible for her to think, let alone get back to sleep.

She sighed in defeat and opened her eyes. She was right when she had thought it was daytime, light was streaming in under the door and she could hear Emmett downstairs whooping in victory over some game or another. Sleep had definitely been out of the question.

When she looked over beside her on the bed she smiled. Jasper was lying completely still on his back with his head facing the ceiling. His eyes were closed and he was sparkling in all places where his skin was bare due to the slither of rare sunlight escaping under a crack in the curtain. If Angela hadn't known any better she would have sworn he was sleeping.

She knew that he was aware she was awake, and she also knew that he was remaining still only for her benefit, probably feeling her gaze. As Emmett's whining began and Rosalie's disputes started downstairs silence fell all over the house. The quiet was so thick that Angela didn't want to ruin it. She snuggled closer to Jasper's side and leant her head on his shoulder. He didn't move or flinch just as she had known he wouldn't.

As Jasper remained a statue, sleeping next to Angela, she gently moved her hand so her fingers could trace lightly around his features. When she got to his mouth she stopped, she loved everything about Jasper, but of all he had to offer she loved his mouth the most. To her it stood out as his best feature; it held his soft southern accent, his voice of red velvet, was the perfect shape and held a tool that could let them remain together forever. The question was did she want him to use it?

"Happy Birthday!" Angela's head jerked up in surprise to watch Rosalie awkwardly manouvering a tray through the door, an excited Emmett close behind her, "I cooked. I can't taste it or anything but I tried."

Angela smiled and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, turning a thoughtful gaze down towards Jasper as his lips quirked slightly and then all of a sudden she was propped up against his chest to eat, "well it looks lovely, thank you Rose."

"Don't inflate her ego," Jasper whispered good naturedly into her ear, well aware that all of the occupants of the house would be able to hear him, "she walked in and I could feel the pride cutting through the air already."

"Don't be nasty," Angela giggled slightly and lightly placed a tap to Jaspers arm, gently manoeuvring around the burnt edges of her pancakes, "she could probably take you, y'know."

"Hah! Definitely," Emmett laughed as he unceremoniously dumped himself down on the end of the bed, turning Rosalie's happy smirk into a scowl as he continued his speech, "Rose is the scariest person I know."

With a wicked wink Emmett produced a wrapped cube from behind his back, shoving it in its lime green and violet spotted glory towards Ange's face, "Bella and Edward are out, and they wanted us to wait, but we really didn't feel like it."

Angela laughed but placed the package to the side, hugging both of Jaspers adopted siblings and crawling all the way out of the covers, "then I will put my foot down and wait for them anyway."

"You, my dear sister, are no fun." Emmett shook his head in mock disappointment and turned back to his brother, "how you put up with it, I will never know."

"I manage," Jasper smiled softly and turned to look out the window, swallowing audibly, a tell tale sign of what he was going through, "Emmett, we should go set up for later."

Almost without hesitation Emmett was standing, Angela held bridal style in his arms preventing her escape as he situated her back on the bed next to her present and Rose, "you're right! We have to go get ready! And the lovely ladies will just have to remain here, forlorn without our company, waiting for our gallant return. Inside this house. And no entering the backyard under any circumstances!"

"Okay, okay," Angela rolled her eyes and laughed anyway as she noticed Jasper flinch one more time as she blushed, "you boys go hunt, then you go do whatever it is you have to do. I'm sure Rose and I can handle ourselves for a couple of hours."

"That we certainly can," Rose shook her head as Emmett kissed her on the cheek, playfully raising his eyebrows suggestively before disappearing out of the door with a salute, Jasper gave a terse smile and ran a hand of Ange's cheek, disappearing if possible at an ever quicker pace, "necessity and all that," Rose mentioned quietly as she watched the place at the top of the stairs where the boys had disappeared, "nothing else."

"I know," Angela said quietly as she pulled her present back into her lap, "sometimes it's just difficult, but we manage."

She smiled up at Rose with all she had, pulling on the strings of the ribbon holding her gift closed, "You should open it," the blonde motioned to the box with a jut of her chin, "then you and I can get down to business with this whole planning thing."

"Really," Angela murmured with slight intrigue. She had been working on her wedding plans for the past few weeks; the foundations for progress were being set. It had been an interesting six months living with the Cullens' but all obstacles had been overcome so far, and the recovery of her leg had been almost a dream it had gone so fast and so well, yet for all her bravado she knew people could still sense the doubt, the feeling that she was under pressure.

"Well I guess I should just get it over with," Angela smiled and pulled on the bright green ribbon, lifting off the ends of the paper to reveal a plain black box. Opening the lid, nestled inside an abundance of tissue paper was an envelope and another small box.

"If you open the box first, it'll be easier to explain the envelope," Rosalie said helpfully as Angela discarded the original wrappings and pulled the latest revelations into her lap, "then I'll let you go shower and get ready and we'll get out of the boys way."

"Oh god," Angela murmured again as she slipped open the envelope gently, wary of even the slightest possibility of blood since she had been living with Jasper full time, "tickets?"

"Yes," said Rosalie, "plane tickets, four of them actually. We're going to Australia," Angela's mouth dropped open and she began shaking her head, "no objections, you're worth it and its necessary and this is a joint gift from the six of us because we knew you'd be upset otherwise."

"What could possibly be accompanying this?" Angela's eyes continued to rove over the tickets as Rosalie gracefully plucked up the second box and slid it open to reveal a set of car keys, jingling them in the younger girls face for attention, "Rose, I don't drive."

"No you don't, but this car comes complete with a chauffeur and champagne for our pick up from the airport and our trip to this exclusive boutique that Esme and I discovered somewhere in Victoria," Rose smirked again as Angela began to stutter, "We're going dress shopping."


	2. 001 Here's Lookin' at You Kid

**A/N: **I am so sorry for the wait that an apology really won't cover it. For all those who have stuck behind me and this developing saga you support is greatly appreciated and I am deeply sorry for the wait, for all of you who are new welcome and I hope you enjoy everyone! The new direction is really working for me and the first year of uni is over, so more is on the way (really this time!) please let me know what you think if you're all still there. Much love and many apologies x

**001 Here's Lookin' at You Kid**

"You know you didn't have to go all out for my birthday right?" Angela leant comfortable against Jasper's side and rubbed her hands together in the fresh night air, used to the cold having lived in Forks for her whole life, "and you didn't have to get gifts for my brothers."

She smiled at the low rumble that ran through Jaspers frame, enjoying his laugh almost as much as his company, "that was hardly all out. If you'd been at Bella's birthday a few years back... well let's just say I took it easy."

Jaspers' arm crept around Angela's shoulders and he felt her relax further into his side, warmth fluttering over him as it did any stone that was touched by some kind of heat. He had been in this position so many times and never tired of having Angela slowly but surely fall into place with him, so many things in their relationship different from his time with Alice.

Thinking about it, Jasper found himself swimming in memories and leaving where he currently was, the ideas engulfing him and everything he stood for. He had been unhappy for so long, the most uncontrollable of the family, yet at the same time the most controlled and all by the emotional cues he has siphoned from Alice as she came to lead him away that day so long ago.

But with Angela things had finally clicked into place, and while it was hard – probably harder than it had been for Edward what with Jasper's being new to vegetarianism – and they had had their share of trials, he fancied theirs to be a bit of a love story. One which happened to involve a little bit of that "Here's lookin' at you kid" and a little less of the traditional drama.

Angela had waltzed into his life and from every day since the fateful fainting spell she had suffered in the hallway he had fed every night just to get close to her and be with her, he felt her pull that much. As he had tried to explain to Alice, it was almost like it was meant to be, almost like fate had intervened and that he was sorry but this was what he knew was right, what had to happen.

It had been a hard thing to face his discovery of fate and his leaving Alice, the one who had so long ago saved him. How could he cope without her? Who would stop him from being that monster he had for so long been playing? But that was it wasn't it. He was playing a monster, and then a saint and he knew he was neither.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Angela's fingers gently brushed the side of his face and pulled him out of his reverie, startling him into a tense statue as her scent wafted around him so close and so tempting.

As Angela's fingers fell away Jasper turned quickly and caught her hand in his own, facing her as she sat beside him and smiled, worry from her face fading away, "they aren't very interesting."

"I would beg to differ," she smiled again and then looked back out into the dense brush of trees behind the house, moving almost imperceptibly closer and moving an arm to wrap around the front of Jasper's chest, "you know, I would really rather not be travelling to Australia in the morning, but the warmth could be nice for a couple of hours."

Jasper made an effort to chuckle and he felt Angela sigh with contentment and lean into him a little more. For a split second he had to hold his breath. It wasn't that he needed to breathe, and on more than one occasion he had stopped altogether just to be near her, but old habits die hard, and he had always found it difficult to speak when he wasn't breathing.

"And I'm grateful for the gift," he knew she was ignoring his intake of breath, and had picked up on his habits a long time ago, but nevertheless, he fell back into a normal pattern, and pulled her closer towards him, "but you really should have saved your money, my mother will have a fit when she finds out."

He chuckled again and rested his chin on her head, gently as possible, still somewhat new to the fragility of it all. His mind wandered briefly back to the early days when he had painstakingly controlled every move and every touch, and then back to the more recent times where his confidence occasionally outgrew his ability and small bruises or cracks would appear and he would fall over himself to apologise to that beautiful smile.

"The gift was enforced on me as much as you, they just want you to have the very best," he rubbed her arm to soothe the cold and then belatedly realised that probably wouldn't help, but when he stopped she just took back her arm from his chest and entwined their fingers, "just like I want you to have the best."

"I don't need anything special," he could feel her frowning but the feelings in the air weren't of the type of self-loathing that usually accompanied someone who thought they never deserved anything, she was just caring about everyone. He could always feel her caring, "if you haven't noticed, I'm kind of in love with you, so you don't need to give me big expensive gifts, just some company every now and then. And maybe flowers every once in a while."

He grinned with her and moved so he could see her face, tipped up against the starlight by his fingers, still gentle and controlled whilst at the same time trying to convey everything. His kiss was tentative, but then they always were, always had to be.

"You know," she smiled at him as he moved back to look at her, watching her eyes comb the stars before returning to his face, "sometimes I wonder at all the things we've been through. I've never told you this, though I probably didn't need to, but I've always been kind of terrified of the dark."

He watched her turn her gaze back into the forest and frown slightly, "I mean, it's not the dark that's scary I guess. Just what's in the dark, hiding out there and waiting. Even walking home like I used to before the incident in the woods I'd worry. I guess it's all the things you see on TV and all the things your parents and teachers tell you when you're younger about stranger danger and all that. The world is a scary place."

His eyes had never left her face but somehow he felt that she'd travelled a long way away, somewhere he had never been and would never experience. He had never felt what she had, never worried about what was out there in the world waiting for him. When he had been human he had been a man, a soldier. And he had felt fear, but it was always the fear of the known. Her eyes finally flickered back to his own and he sensed she was back again.

"That's why I'm really glad I found all of you," she smiled brightly and curled into his neck, lips pressed near the side of his throat and hair spilled messily out over her shoulder, "you make me feel better... and not in the you-have-a-magical-gift-that-fixes-my-emotions kind of way. And not because you're super strong either, even if Emmett could take out pretty much anything I can think of."

A loud whoop of 'hell yeah!' rang from the house and Angela laughed against his chest, fixing herself back into the crook of his neck, "It's because I love you. And don't ever think that I don't, not matter what happens."

He smiled gently and raised a hand to stroke at her hair, ignoring the knots she swore existed and shuffling her around so she was sitting almost right on top of him. He loved her of course, but he knew he didn't need to say it. Alice had always been different, needing to hear it in everything they did. Angela was quite content with her place, yet always, just in case, he said it back.

"I can't wait to marry you," he heard his voice come out a little rough as leant the lower half of his head against hers, still slightly higher up on the porch than she was, "I will love you forever."

"Well you will live that long," she smiled again and they fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, her propped against his chest in one of their lazy moments, when forever really did seem like a possibility, "but we haven't really discussed forever yet have we?"

He sighed and wrapped his arms around her from his position behind, enjoying the way she entwined their fingers and calmly fiddled with them, like they really had been together for a lifetime, "whenever you're ready. It's not necessary tonight."

"Another time then," he felt slight hesitation from her as she continued to look up at the sky, but it was quickly gone with the tiny flicker of apprehension it had accompanied, replaced by the small blossoming joy he felt from her sometimes, and always wondered what thinking had triggered it, "want to go inside?"

"It's up to you," she gave a short laugh and turned to face him, pressing her lips against his once lightly, seeking permission for one kiss more, "we're so married already."

"Best make it official darlin'," he grinned lazily with his southern drawl and she smiled again, cute and crinkled at the nose like she did only when she really enjoyed something, "now if you don't mind, it'd be my pleasure to escort the lady inside."


	3. 002 Definitely not Ordinary

**002 Definitely not Ordinary**

"Okay, so you have everything and all your bags have been checked in, our flight leaves in about twenty minutes and we board in ten," Rosalie's thumbs pressed firmly on their tickets, creasing the shiny paper as she stared Angela down in the middle of the departure lounge, "so, you can send him off now."

Angela gave a tight lipped smile and tilted her head upwards and back, smiling genuinely at Jasper as his perfect face set a stone cold glare at his 'twin' in her peripheral vision, "she's probably right, you should go meet the others outside and start doing whatever it is you boys have planned, we're fine."

She felt Jasper's arms tighten around her waist and gripped at them with her hands, slowly trying to shuffle them backwards and off of her person. After a few seconds of trying and failing to do so, Rosalie snapped, her hands moving faster than Angela could see as the small sound of rock hitting against rock rang up to her ears and Jaspers hands vanished from her waistline.

Esme was calmly patting Jasper on the shoulder and Bella was off a few feet in the distance, studying a big advertisement of Australia encased in plastic beside similar posters for China and England. Angela knew that Jasper was just being overprotective since she hadn't really been away from him since the accident and since he and Rosalie had been having words since she woke up that morning. For some reason she felt that a lot of it may have something to do with the confessions she'd made last night.

"I'll call you when we touch down," Angela murmured quietly as Esme hugged Jasper and wandered over to the boarding gate, Bella at her side as Rose waited behind for their human charge, "I'll see you in the morning."

Jasper smiled his most earnest smile and kissed her quickly, holding her to his chest for a minute before almost disappearing completely from her presence. They had had a pretty good run of it for the last few weeks, still wrapped up in each other like they had first been all those months ago. Angela figured it was something uniquely theirs, something that came with the endless patience a fair few lifetimes afforded you and the bliss of a first love on her part. It was like she had always imagined when watching the old Hollywood films she loved, Grace Kelley and Ingrid Bergmann always made it look just like she felt right now... if a little more glamorous than a tired nineteen year old in an airport at six am.

"It's time to go," Rose almost whispered in turn as she watched her newest sister stare after her brother as he waved from the exit gate of the airport, "we're on a private plane, so we'll be there in a matter of hours. You can call him around lunch time."

Angela nodded and turned to follow Rose, smiling as she draped an arm over her shoulders, "So Australia... you say you found this place?"

"Well... not exactly."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Her family technically owns the place," Bella said as she walked next to Angela, browsing around the busy Tullamarine Airport after their touchdown in Melbourne, "her sister migrated across from England after her accident, and with her husband they started the business. Apparently it's a vintage boutique now, so don't worry, she isn't forcing you into high fashion this week."

Angela smiled and scooped up a small toy Koala, its grey synthetic fur coarse against her fingers and the corks hanging from its little felt hat bobbing gently against the back of her hand, "if you'd told me I'd be shopping for my wedding dress in Australia even last week I would have told you you're crazy."

"Tell me about it," Bella smiled and fiddled with a Kangaroo plush toy, accidently ripping the seam on the side of its arm and cursing as she moved to replace it, "life with the Cullen's is definitely not ordinary."

"It's nice though," Angela picked up the Kangaroo and with the Koala moved to the desk, purchasing both with a smile at the girl behind the counter, "maybe one day I'll have things from all over the world. I always thought I'd travel. Europe, mostly."

Bella nodded and watched Angela stow the toys in her bag, leaning casually against the wall outside of the store, "we should probably go back to the front desk, they'll be almost done by now."

"Mhmm," Angela hesitated a moment and Bella turned to face her, "We should head off anyway, I have almost no reception in here and I promised to call..."

The brunette tilted her head to the side and for a moment Angela found it hard to make eye contact or even look towards her face. She knew Bella could sense some sort of hesitation, and in truth, it came from the discussion she was yet to have with her fiancé. Sometimes she wondered whether or not Bella was still the same person she had become friends with those years ago at high school. She looked more or less the same; more beautiful maybe, but not by much, and the eyes had changed with the rest of her. She cooked less, but was still probably better at it than Angela herself, and sometimes, Angela thought she caught her watching her as she moved about the house, wether from some hunger she didn't yet know about or from some sort of sadness that she was no longer warm, breathing or even alive.

"Alright," Bella moved away from the wall and smiled lightly, beginning to walk home as Angela fell into step beside her, "Look Ange, I know I haven't been able to be so close around you since this started... I just want you to know that if you want to talk about something you can. I know what it's like to be where you are and if you're worried about the wedding that's perfectly fine."

Angela smiled and shook her head, "I know I want to marry Jasper, so everything is fine. I'm really happy at the moment... he makes me really happy."

"And so will this store," Rose almost crowed as she came up to them from their left, taking Angela's arm and rushing her just above human speed outside towards the car, smiling winningly at the driver as she pulled her inside, "ten minutes and we'll be there. I already had them set aside some things you might like, but this is all for your day, so if you don't find anything just say so."

Angela smiled and nodded and laughed with the others as they sipped at a glass of champagne for their short trip. Esme was beside herself with excitement and at the same time she looked almost as if she'd be crying if she could, that happy for both whom she considered her son and the girl he had decided to give everything for.

**A/N: **so it's just a bit of a filler chapter but the next one is being written as I post so hope you all like it alright so far and this chapter was mainly to express a bit of Angela's nervousness towards the whole issue of a vampire lifestyle. Reviews are met with much love, thanks to everyone who has been there so far. Much love x


	4. 003 I Love You

**003 I Love You**

"You look gorgeous," Esme's voice was once again almost a whisper as Angela ran her hands down the slightly worn fabric of the dress, the second she had picked out to try on and had saved for last, "you look like... you just look wonderful."

Rose was smiling in what Angela was sure was a mixture of both delight at the dress and pride at having found it in the first place, and Bella was smiling with her eyebrows raised in approval, an image that harked back to the days of the dance and dress shopping with both Jessica and Bella herself in Port Angeles. So much had undoubtedly changed since then.

"It's gorgeous," Angela smiled as she fingered the off white lace gracing the front of the dress, remembering old photographs of her mother's wedding and the dress she had worn styled after some old movie she had loved growing up, "I'd need some help with it though."

"Hair, make-up and shoes can all be taken care of," Rose smiled from her place on the white satin settee, one hand propping up her head against the backing and one curled over her crossed legs, "I'd say hair up and light make up for the moment."

Angela turned back to the mirror and took in her reflection once more, gazing at the dress and trying to imagine the full effect. The dress itself was however enough. Off white lace covered both her arms and her back, meeting the bodice of the dress which in a slightly brighter off white hugged her to the waist and then fell to her toes. A small lace cuff was tied to the waist, leaving a triangular gap as its draped effect led into the fall of the skirt. It was in short very beautiful, and Angela could tell it had seen a wedding much more publicised than hers.

"It kind of makes everything real, doesn't it?" Esme spoke gently as her hand rested on Angela's shoulder and adjusted the lace that sat around her collarbone, eyes meeting in the mirror and gazes being held, "the dress and the ring. You will make a beautiful bride, and an absolutely loving wife."

Angela nodded and smiled, hand resting on her soon to be mother-in-laws for the split second before the spell was broken. With a decision made, Esme and Bella went to pay for the dress, leaving Rose to wait for Angela and meet them in the car.

"You really will look beautiful," Rose was talking through the white curtain that separated them, and Angela took her time to change back into her black top and jeans, button sleeved cardigan following suit, "the dress is gorgeous, and the rest we have a few weeks to bring together. You should start thinking about what you want, and then I can have an idea of what we'll need to get and where we can go. Nearby Forks if you like."

"Yeah," Angela turned to face the mirror, taking in the circles under her eyes for a minute as she tried to remember how many hours of sleep she had gotten before she had been woken up for their trip. Rose's discussion of what she wanted had just pulled her into her own little world again for a moment. There was so much to do, and so little time to decide if she was right or if she was ready. The happiness she as feeling of late was something she didn't want to lose, yet she knew that she wouldn't be able to put off decisions forever.

"Rose?" with a tug at the curtain Angela stepped out to watch rose refold yet another veil into its original place, "I need to talk to you about something."

The blonde stalled her hands minutely and then turned to face her friend, the only human she had ever really had any connection with since her change. A split second of worry overcame her system and then her head tilted slowly to the side, as if to take in every inch of the girl standing before her, "sure. What is it?"

"I don't know what to do," Angela drew her voice back to a whisper and closed her eyes, swallowing against all the things she had been trying not to think about since this proposal had started, "I need you to help me."

The blonde dropped the veil in her hand without properly fixing it, turning completely to face Angela as she stood rooted to her spot in front of the changing room, her bag still next to the mirror on the floor a few paces behind her.

"I need you to help me understand something," the girl continued as Rose hesitated to move towards her, "I know your own feelings on the subject, but I want you to just explain to me as best you can, without any bias, what I'm about to ask you."

Rose nodded and Angela opened her eyes to look at her, ringing her hands together as if she was cold, even though the humidity of the shop was almost stifling to her at this very moment in time, "What will it feel like... for me to be what you are?"

Rose blinked and then turned to look back at the veil she had been replacing, picking it up in her hands and running her finger over the patterned lace that constituted the material. It reminded her of her own, once upon a time. The first one she had ever owned, the one she had picked whilst there was pink in her cheeks and breath in her lungs, a sea of colour in her eyes. She remembered.

"Ange, I'm not the one you should be talking to about this," she gave a glance towards her friend and watched her lower her head a little, gaze dropping to her feet on the ground, "its not that I can't tell you or anything, because you can talk to me about anything it's just..."

"No, it's okay Rose, you really don't have to," the girl smiled and moved forwards, bag on her shoulder and ready to go, ready to pretend it didn't matter to her, "t doesn't matter. I –"

"No, it does matter," Rose gripped at her arm for a moment and looked back at the veil, knowing that it could very well have been hers, "it's just, I was already in such pain before it happened that... well it was just like a fresh wave wasn't it?"

Rose smiled and moved her hand away from the fabric, letting her grip on Angela's arm loosen before turning to reach for her own bag that was resting near the boxes she had been looking at on the table, each containing different veils and accessories, "but when I woke up, it's like I'd never felt it. There were no scars there on the outside, just little reminiscent waves of fire underneath. For a little while, I'd thought I'd gone crazy. But it went away eventually."

Angela nodded and continued to watch as Rosalie smiled down at the mess of fabric and buttons and jewels below them, "but it's different for everybody I guess," she turned to face her now, looking her in the eyes and noticing the tears that were hanging back there, "you should talk to Jasper about it. Partners make decisions together."

Angela found herself nodding again as Rose shook her head a little, brushing some hair back behind her ear and turning back to the girl who had won over the family faster than any of the others had, "anyway, we have gotten you a dress, which you look amazing in, so I think we should head out to the car and the airport, give you a few minutes to call the groom and then fly back home to celebrate properly."

"Sounds like a plan," Angela smiled and then relaxed back into a small frown as Rose pulled her from the store, letting her get into the car at human pace as watched Esme and Bella whisper a plan to one another from their seats.

It felt like only a matter of seconds was taken to get them to the airport and with a thank you to the driver for his work and his congratulations, she let the others move inside to check them in and pulled the cell phone Jasper had given her out from her bag.

"Darlin'?" Angela smiled a little as his southern drawl greeted her across the phone and realised he must have been having a good time at home with his brothers.

"Hi, yes it's me," she turned to look through the glass doors at the others as they waited patiently at the counter, every so often glancing in her direction to make sure nothing was wrong, "I'm at the airport, we'll be flying back home within the hour."

She watched a man hop quickly out of the front passenger door of a taxi, running the two steps around to open the passenger door of the back. A young girl not much older than herself stepped out, patterned skirt and plain shirt with long blonde hair, happily smiling at him and he wrapped her up in his arms. The engagement ring sparkled in the sunlight.

"Ange," she snapped her attention quickly back to her phone and muttered an apology, telling him she was lost in the sight of something and refusing to acknowledge it to herself as a lie, "I said that I'll bring a car and pick you up, the girls will probably need extra room for all the things they bought anyway."

"Okay," Angela gave a small sound to indicate her amusement at his joke and then turned back to the couple from the taxi. They had it so easy without even realising, yet she still wouldn't change the love of her life, "I'll have Rose send you an estimated time of arrival. I'll see you when we get there."

"One last thing," Jasper had lowered his voice and from the wind crackling over the line she knew he had run from hearing distance of the house, "if there was something wrong you'd tell me right?"

She smiled and turned away from the couple, looking through the glass doors at the three women sitting politely at a table outside one of the busy airport lounge restaurants, smiling between themselves and chatting quietly, "of course."

"I'll see you when you get back then," his voice had changed again over the line and she figured he had run back to the house, "be careful on the flight home. And be careful around Rose, Emmett wants me to remind you that she's dangerous."

Angela laughed in earnest and moved towards the doors again, this time passing through and offering her final greeting through limited service, "he'll be in trouble when we get back. I love you."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"I love you too," Jasper said into his phone as he scanned the trees on the very border of the Cullen property, well aware that Angela's call had cut off after her last word and that he was stalling the inevitable.

With a click he snapped his cell phone shut and moved to place it in his pocket, crouching a little in defence and monitoring the sounds he could hear coming from the trees. The bright snapping noise to his left made him jump quickly into a turn, and a rustle up ahead made him tense. Without much second thought he dove into the wood and lunged forwards through the trees, well aware he had something in his sights now as it ricocheted off a tree and back onto the forest floor.

A snarl escaped him unbidden and then from behind a weight hit him and pinned him down, tying him to a tree with strong arms as he struggled to turn his head and look at his attacker.

"Shhh," the sound made him cease the snarls ripping from his chest but the animal instinct to escape was not to be culled, and his limbs writhed minutely against the stone that trapped him, "Jasper it's me, be quiet."

Emmett relaxed his grip as Jasper ceased his struggling, and both brothers stood facing the wood in similar states of cunning and poise, waiting to see if anything was headed back towards the house.

"It's gone," Edward sounded suddenly from the tree limb above their heads as he jumped to the ground and stood facing the direction they had moments ago been racing towards, "I can't hear anything, and that was definitely not a wild animal."

"What the hell was it then?" Emmett furrowed his brow and kicked at the base of the tree, shuddering it down into a sharp angle and then righting it with a low grunt of frustration, "the last thing we need is more crazy-ass predators running around here."

"I have a feeling we're about to have a problem," Jasper muttered with slight disgust as he drew on the tense feelings of both his brothers standing with him in the clearing, "we need to talk to Carlisle."


	5. 004 Insignificance

**004 Insignificance**

Angela relaxed into her seat as the plane began its descent, gently flicking through the pages of her book before settling it in her lap. As with most, the trip home had seemed to go almost twice as quickly as the way there, and after her conversation with Rosalie, Angela had remained for the most part pretty quiet.

As the seatbelt sign clicked off and Angela gathered her things, she watched Rosalie move to collect the dress from the front of the plane. Bella and Esme smiled, and Angela waved and departed, eager to get to Jasper and forget what she had discussed with Rose. She didn't want to worry him when he arrived to pick her up, and though he tried not to read her emotions she knew that sometimes there was no way around his gifts. But it almost ran deeper than that... she didn't want to listen to what Rose had been saying because she knew that if she did she would be too scared to follow it through.

As she broke through the gate she ground to a stop, scanning the area quickly before spotting her blonde fiancé, leaning casually near one of the whitewashed walls and speaking hurriedly into his phone. Angela smiled as he stood there, looking off to the side as if he was actually talking to someone right in front of him.

She had always thought him handsome, but then back at high school no one had doubted the Cullen's attractiveness. But now as she watched him she really saw it. His blonde hair was a little shorter than it had been all those years ago, but it contrasted nicely with the usual blue jeans and grey sweater he wore. Today he had a black coat thrown over the top, hanging open to reveal the multicoloured scarf he had around his neck. One she could remember stealing a long time ago from his wardrobe; he only ever wore it now when she was away.

A light breeze ruffled her hair as she remained standing near the open exit of the gate, and she smiled as he stiffened momentarily and then turned to face her. He was still talking hurriedly into his phone, but he stopped to smile as she waved, and held one arm out as if asking what she was waiting for. With a last look she walked forward, closing the distance more quickly than she had expected and throwing herself into his chest.

She heard his phone snap shut and felt his other arm come around her, but he didn't say anything. She curled her hands into the front of his sweater and smiled at the feel, taking in his scent and his presence. His hands made gentle movements along her sides and for a moment she felt panic, thinking that he had felt her anxiety over Rosalie's confessions in the dress shop.

Angela burrowed her face deeper into his chest like a small child embarrassed or sorry for being scolded by an adult. He gripped her slightly tighter as the wave of panic spread over her and then moved one hand to her hair. Quietly he wondered whether she could sense the distress he had been facing since his moment in the forest, searching for the thing that had threatened his house to no avail. But Rosalie's' whispering caught his ears and he kissed his angel on the head.

"I missed you," Angela's voice was muffled by her position tucked into his chest and he smiled at the top of her head, gently manoeuvring her backwards until she was looking up into his face, tired and a little sheepish, smiling as if she thought she was the biggest idiot in the world, "I think I want to go home now."

He nodded and smiled again, mouth twisted up in one corner as if amused, bending to kiss her quickly on the lips before his arm wound around her shoulders, "I missed you too."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Angela sat staring out the window of the black Mercedes Jasper had recently bought, watching the trees as they passed, the light darkening as night time decided to crawl up upon them. They were headed out the opposite direction of the Cullen's residence, edging on the outskirts of town and preparing to head in to Angela's house. Jasper hummed momentarily and Angela turned to look at him, recognising the song she had played whilst she was getting ready early that morning.

They had spoken briefly on the way to the car, swapping stories about both of their days as they stowed the wedding dress in the boot and then entered the vehicle. But with the weight of Rosalie's conversation hanging over her head Angela didn't feel too inclined towards conversation, and Jasper had complied, focusing on the road as he discreetly watched her movements.

"You can turn on the radio or something if you like," Angela smiled at Jasper as he shook his head, turning towards her from the road.

"Ange, I don't want to listen to the radio," he saw her face contort and felt the waves of embarrassment, anxiety, panic and slight anger that it expressed. He was smiling in a state somewhat reminiscent of both his own anger and distress and was smiling half with bitterness and half with exasperation at the whole situation.

"Jasper, we agreed we'd have a few minutes," Angela was confused at the way events were playing out, not used to Jasper expressing any of the emotions he was currently showing – at least not in relation to her – without any good reason, "Jasper? What's wrong?"

He bit his lip and pulled over the car, trying not to push his hands too hard into the steering wheel in case he broke it. He could feel the anger welling up inside of him and his frustration doubled when he could not detect the source. His eyes momentarily flickered to outside of the car and his ears snapped to attention. He saw and heard nothing.

"Jasper?" Angela was wary as she spoke to him, aware from his intense concentration that not all of the emotions he was displaying were his own, "maybe we should go."

Her fiancé nodded and started the car, turning to her before pulling onto the road and taking her hand, one of his own left on the steering wheel, "I am so sorry."

"We can talk about it when we get to my place," she smiled and held onto his hand, watching him do the same and taking one last look into the forest before he began driving again. As soon as the car pulled to a stop in her parents' driveway she leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, turning to get out of her door.

Her parents were staying for the weekend a few towns over, celebrating some time alone while since her brothers had started soccer camp that morning. They had asked her to stop by to feed and walk the dog, promising to pay her for it since she was more or less out on her own by now.

Angela stuck her hand into her bag and searched around for her keys, frustration growing as they continued to avoid her grasp. As she struggled with the lining of the bag Jasper had come up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She smiled.

"I am sorry," his accent was growing thicker and Angela paused to hold onto his arms, sure he was once again beating himself up over something that was neither of their faults, "and I love you. Do you still want to marry me?"

"Of course," there was no hesitation in her answer and she knew he could sense that, nuzzling his face into her hair and the crook of her neck, "I'm sorry about before, it- I was talking to Rosalie and I felt stupid."

He paused, holding her close as she spoke her hair masking her face from him. They had always talked like this; Angela confessed the most to him when she was able to pull her courage together, not looking to see if she was being judged, or being able to pick up on cues herself. He admired the way she could be so honest, not that he thought she would ever lie. Sometimes he wished that he was half as strong as her; sometimes he managed to be.

"Sometimes I wonder what it must be like for you guys, listening to me and constantly watching out for someone," her voice was getting lower but he could still hear her, and her own arms had tightened around his own as if afraid he's let her go, "you have decades of knowledge. Sometimes I wonder if I ever seem small to you Jasper Hale."

She was shaking her head a little as she spoke, turning her face upwards to glace at him. She had gorgeous eyes he was thinking to himself, and a gorgeous smile, "How could I ever think anything as precious as you would be small or insignificant."

She smiled for a second and looked away again, turning up to kiss him quickly and pulling back to say what he knew would be her final piece on the subject, "Jasper I want to talk to you about all of this. I want to discuss this subject we've been avoiding and I want to make decisions _with _you. But I don't know if I'm ever really going to be able to fully understand."

"You do better than I ever could have," he smiled at her even though she had turned away again, and raised a thumb to turn her chin, aware of the salty tang that usually accompanied tears, "and I would marry you over and over again just the way you are, because you are Angela Webber, the girl I fell in love with for all the things you just said."

She smiled and wiped at one of her eyes, letting him kiss her gently before pulling back to look at her again, "and just so you know; I think you sold yourself short."

She gave a small laugh and smacked him playfully on the chest, wiping the tears away with first her forefinger then her thumb. With a quick movement she barely had time to register he had pulled her key from her bag and slipped it into her hand, aware that her dog was barking excitedly from inside the house, golden tail visibly wagging through the frosted glass of the entryways window.

"I'll get Candice and meet you back here in a minute," she smiled as he kissed her and walked into the house, excitedly greeting her dog as her lock allowed her access.

Jasper gripped at his cell phone in his pocket and slid it out into his hand, dialling the last number and speaking quickly into the phone, "it's followed me."

"We know," Edwards voice rang coolly through the phone as wind clipped at the outside of the conversation, "we've been on your tail since the outskirts of town. Carlisle is at the house with the girls. Jacob is there too, looks like we have the same problem."

Jasper growled quietly and Candice barked in his direction as Angela manoeuvred her out of the house, "if you stick close by we're probably covered better here in town," Jaspers military experience was beginning to kick in and his instincts were on high alert due to the presence of a threat, "we're going to need Jacobs pack for this anyway, the trail was headed straight to LaPush."

Edward made a sound of consent on the other end of the line and then conveyed the conversation to Emmett who was enthusiastically pounding on something in the background, "we'll call you when we have something."

Angela smiled as she walked up to Jasper, taking his hand as Candice pulled at the other eager for a walk, "I think a short one tonight, it's getting dark," Jasper nodded and Angela gave a wary look towards the forest, remembering their conversation the night before, "come on Candy."

Jasper gazed into the trees and saw the shape of his brothers brush past quietly and unnoticed, covering only a small area so close to town. He wrapped an arm around Angela's shoulders and listened to her heartbeat, rhythmically beating around his ears until he was no longer pulling the emotions from the houses around them. She was a godsend his Angela; and he would protect her from anything that came for them.

**A/N: **Hey guys, I'm kind of worried about this last chapter so feedback would be really great. Hopefully you get an idea of where we're going here and the struggles Ange is facing, and I guess the struggles that Jasper has with being unable to help her. Hope this makes sense, and to all readers that celebrate it, Happy Thanksgiving!

Much love to all of you x


	6. 005 The Perfect First Dance

**005 The Perfect First Dance**

"Are we going to have a first dance?" Angela smiled as she fiddled with Jaspers fingers, both of his hands resting on her stomach as she leant against him on the bed in his room. Their trip to her parents' home had been short with so little to do on her first day caring for the place. Once Candice had been properly fed and passed out asleep on the floor, Jasper had picked Angela up and they had slipped away, home to the Cullens by dinner time.

"Of course," she could feel him smiling against her hair, his breath was cold – and for him unnecessary – but she smiled at the rhythm it created behind her back, "What kind of southern gentleman would I be if I didn't have the first dance with my bride?"

"A very poor one, but mine nonetheless," Angela was still playing with his fingers, something she realised suddenly that she did quite a lot as he moved his own hands to entwine them with hers, "any requests? For the song I mean."

The 'hmmmm' sound he made reverberated through his chest and Angela twisted her head up to look at him, hair pooling around the sides of her face until she unlinked a hand to sweep it away, "you like classics right? Why don't we go see if we can't find you some Dean Martin or something in Edward's collection? He is the musical one of the family."

"I was going to say," She said with a small laugh as she twisted her fingers back between his own, "I might like classics but I don't think a recording of "That's why this lady is a Tramp" would make a great first dance."

Jasper hummed again in amusement and Angela settled herself back into him, dreamily humming a few bars of _The Lady is a Tramp_ before laughing softly at herself and turning on her side to lean against Jasper, her ear gently resting above where his heart would be, "I guess nobody has the wedding they imagine though do they? I mean I'm certainly not complaining about the groom, but I would never have imagined I'd marry a vampire."

Jasper was staring at the wall directly opposite the bed, the light mustardy yellow walls surrounding the dark wooden door and the bookshelves off to the sides holding Angela's favourite photo of the two of them; his usual position when she woke and saw him at night. She called it his thinking phase.

"What did you imagine?" Jasper asked quietly, fingertips tracing gentle patterns up and down Angela's arm as he lounged on the bed, one knee swaying back and forward across their vision. She knew the question came from curiosity, but she sensed the _something more_ that always flew beneath with Jasper. She always answered honestly.

"I guess I always imagined the crisp white dress, no lace or anything because I always thought it wouldn't suit me," she linked her fingers with those of his that weren't tracing her upper arm, cradling them against his stomach and letting her eyes travel over the things that both she and Jasper had accumulated over their respective amount of years and of course, their time together, "but you aren't really asking about a wedding are you?"

Her question was quiet and content and Jasper didn't have the heart to deny the claim, knowing she would see through his omission anyway. He wanted to know everything, how she had pictured her life, her career, her marriage. He wanted to know everything about her, rather than just be filled in as they went s he had with Alice; he wanted to be standing right there with her, rather than one step behind.

"I always thought I'd stay in Forks," she continued with the same dreamy, quiet tones as he nodded a yes to her earlier question, closing his eyes so he could see exactly the picture she was painting for him, "have a small house, married and holding down a job; either as a psychologist or an English teacher. And a cat, I wanted a black cat. I was going to call him J. Alfred Prufrock."

Jasper laughed and Angela manoeuvred herself up to look at him, lowering her eyebrows and glaring playfully as she chuckled along through her protests, "It's after that famous poem by T.S Elliot as you very well know. I personally thought it was a very good name for my hypothetical black cat!"

"No, it is! It is!" He smiled down at her as they settled back into place, returning to his seriousness as his fingers resumed their methodical patterns against her arm, "what about other things?"

"I didn't really imagine much," Angela gave a happy sigh against his chest, snuggling against him as he stared at his wall, eyes straying to her favourite picture, one they had taken their first real winter together, Angela laughing and looking at the camera, he looking down at her, happiness obvious, "some things I guess in detail; little moments, you know?"

Jasper smiled without feeling it and wrapped both of his arms around her, turning to look at her briefly, "when I was your age, for the first time of course," he gave a small hum of a humourless laugh that in his mind at least overshadowed Angela's own small hum of amusement. He could hear her heartbeat in his head, in his ears; a steady _pa-tum, pa-tum, pa-tum_. His vision seemed blurry as he glanced down at her hair and saw her smile tilted up in his direction, "I thought about a wife. Beautiful and talented obviously, smart because I liked the challenge back then in charming someone that wasn't as thick as a post. I was arrogant to say the least, but I always knew what I wanted."

She was still smiling but he could see that her eyes didn't quite mirror it, so he plunged on, determined to get it all out before he smoothed it over, "and I thought that after my long and illustrious career in the war was over, I'd come back to my wife and build up a house. I wanted the best and finest, and I knew any kids I'd have would want the same," his breath hitched a little as Angela squirmed - obviously uncomfortable - under his arm, "but it wasn't to be back then."

"Angela, I found myself the wife I'd always dreamed of," he looked straight down at her, locking his eyes onto her own as she stared up at him in complete adoring honesty, "and I'll marry her soon. I can deliver on everything and anything you and I wanted; the houses, the dogs, the cats, the careers. We can live comfortably into what would be considered a ripe old age and probably beyond. But there is one thing I can never give you and never have myself, and I know you left it out when I asked you just before how you always imagined life would go."

She looked as if she was going to bite her lip, but all she did was nod her head slightly, keeping his gaze as a soft smile graced her features, "I guess you don't think of names for a cat and never ponder the thought of children."

"No ma'am," Jasper answered, tilting his head as his old characteristics came back with his memories, "I don't think you do."

Angela nodded again and looked briefly down at her hands, before gesturing to the wall and settling back onto his chest, wanting him to sit and see what it was she was saying, "I guess I always thought two or three. A boy and a girl definitely, and when I first met Mike Newton and everyone thought we were going out, we named the kids we would have if we ever did get together..."

Jasper nodded as she listed off the Richard and the Mark, smiling as she included her brothers' names, Connor and Aidan, for middle names if she had to. It all had to do with the surname she mentioned, talking about an Anna, a Carrie and a Corrie; but she had always favoured Norah and James for her own kids. He felt a little bit of pride in her as she spoke, and an edge of weariness that crept upon it with hope, love and fear. She was playing him a picture and he could see it in his head, black and white in places and sometimes colour all around. He felt the loss that she hadn't even been witness to yet.

"I have no idea what names would be fit to go with our Angela and Jasper," she whispered steadily as he clung to her, pressing her probably entirely too firmly against his chest, "but they would have been lovely I'm sure."

"I'm sure," he echoed as she raised one had up between them, tracing a small pattern around his collarbone, all with slight difficulty as he continued to hold her close, "but... but you realise, yes?

"I realised a long time ago," she assured him gently, calm as he struggled with the breaks in his voice and the large breaths he had been taking, "Jasper, it _will_ be okay."

**A/N: **Hey guys, just wanted to say a big thanks to momo16, your support has been wonderful and I would have personally replied to your reviews however I think the site may be having some difficulty in this regard (at least for me!). Thanks to everyone else who may also be following and feedback for this chapter would be great as this is about the fifth attempt and the only one I felt comfortable posting! More soon and much love x

Also _The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock_ by T.S. Elliot can be found on any poetical index website, and I really do encourage everyone to read it, it is a wonderful piece and one of my personal favourites. (I actually intend to name my own black cat that someday, though the poem reminds me of my gorgeous ginger cat over here).


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